ORDER OF THE THISTLE.

7

Various conjectures have been hazarded on the adoption of a Thistle asthe Royal Badge of Scotland, but the most reasonable hypothesis seems tobe, that King James the Third, in imitation of the Royal family of England,whose Badge was a Rose, assumed that Flower of native growth, which,from its properties, was an appropriate illustration of the Royal Motto, “InDefence.”

A Thistle occurs for the first time on the Scots Coinage, as a Mint mark,on the Angel of King James the Fourth, who reigned from 1488 to 1513; andit was introduced on the Groats and Half Groats that were struck shortly after1503, which exhibit a Cross between two Mullets and two Thistle heads. * * 3 4 5On the Coins of Queen Mary, Thistle heads Crowned, Fleurs-de-Lis Crowned,and a Dolphin Crowned, occur; and a Thistle with leaves, on those of herson, King James the Sixth, in 1581, together with the Motto, Nemo meimpune Lacesset, after which time it was continually used on Coin, bothbefore and subsequent to his Accession to the Throne of England. 6

The Great Seals of Scotland, previous to the time of Queen Mary, throwlittle light on this inquiry. The Seal of King Alexander the Third, whoreigned from 1249 to 1286, is covered with Trefoils; that of the Governors ofScotland, after his decease, exhibits, on the reverse, Saint Andrew on his Cross,the ground being semee, apparently of quatrefoils. With the aid of imagina-tion, the leaves that occur under the throne upon which Edward Baliol is

Ingland, as pertening to hir. xv Sept, m.d.xvi.” —p. 24. Thistles are embossed on the Royal Sceptre

of Scotland, now among the Regalia in the Castle of Edinburgh, but it has not been ascertained whenit was made.

3 Cottonian MS. Vespasian E. vm.

4 Lyndsay’s Poems, Edinb. 1614. 5 Cardonnel, p. 134. Snelling, p. 13.

6 On one side of the Scottish Coin in 1579 and 1581, are the Arms of Scotland, crowned, and onthe other, a leaved Thistle, crowned, between the initials “ J. R.” and the Motto “ Nemo me impunelacesset.” The Thistle and the same Motto also occur on other silver Coins of various kinds in

1595, 1596, and 1599 ; and in 1593, over a Thistle, with three heads, crowned: but in all the latterinstances “Lacesset” is altered to “ Lacessff.” In the 2nd of James I. 1605, a small gold Coincurrent for one fifth of the Unite, or for four shillings, called “ a Thistle Crown,” was struck, whichhad on its obverse, a Rose, crowned, between the letters “ J. R.” and on the reverse, the same letterson the sides of a crowned Thistle, with the Legend, “Tueatur Unita Deus.” On the Halfpennyof the second Coinage of King James the First, there is, on one side, a Rose, and on the other, aThistle. The Penny has the same, but round the Rose, the Legend “ J. D. G. Rosa sine Spina,”and round the Thistle, “Tueatur unita Deus.” On the Half Groat, are the Rose and Thistle,Crowned, and both have the same Motto. The caparison of the Horses on the Crowns and halfCrowns of King James the First, are charged with a crowned Rose, or a crowned Thistle.—Snelling.